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The Occultist

The Occultist gets enough of its world right to be an interesting game but it drops the ball on its gameplay.
The Occultist Game Cover
72%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, grinding
74% User Score Based on 129 reviews
Critic Score 69%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5XboxWindowsPlayStation
Buy Nowfrom $16.59
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The Occultist Game Cover

About The Occultist

The Occultist is a single player survival action adventure game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by DALOAR and was released on April 8, 2026. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

The Deluxe Edition of The Occultist contains: -The Occultist game -The game's complete Soundtrack -The Occultist Artbook with over 200 pages of behind-the-scenes material

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Reviews

74%Audience ScoreBased on 129 reviews
story42 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • Beautiful and atmospheric graphics with detailed and diverse locations.
  • Engaging and interesting story combined with well-designed puzzles.
  • Excellent voice acting by Doug Cockle and a fitting soundtrack and sound design that enhance immersion.
  • Lack of consistent tension and scares; many jump scares feel cheap or ineffective.
  • Gameplay feels linear and sometimes tedious with intrusive hand-holding and occasionally clunky mechanics, especially during combat and puzzles.
  • Performance and optimization issues on various systems; bugs and lack of features such as manual saves, chapter select, and clear objectives.

  • story

    97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    43% positive mentions, 53% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions

    The story received mixed feedback, with many praising its intriguing premise, atmospheric setting, and engaging investigative elements that drive curiosity to uncover the mystery. However, some found the plot predictable, muddled, or overly familiar due to common horror tropes and felt it lacked emotional depth or coherence, especially in later stages. Overall, while not revolutionary, the narrative was often seen as a central, compelling aspect that enhanced the game experience for fans of atmospheric horror and puzzle-solving.

    • “I never once felt like I wanted the game to be over because the story was so interesting.”
    • “At the center of this game is the story, which gets told in a fascinating way.”
    • “It brilliantly blends the eerie atmosphere of games like Resident Evil and Outlast with the storytelling depths of A Plague Tale and Demonologist.”
    • “Another walking simulator with very mid lore, buggy puzzles, many jumpscares (which surprisingly weren't even that scary), the soundtrack couldn't even get me into a stressed mood (and I am really easy to scare). At the end of the game, I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry because what the hell were they thinking writing that story?”
    • “The environments looked great, but it felt like each environment was worked on by a different team then duct taped together with a half thought-out story.”
    • “Story: they threw everything in at once — the sins of fathers and children, rituals, illnesses, and basically everything possible — turning it into a complete mess.”

  • gameplay

    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 66% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions

    The gameplay primarily centers on exploration and puzzle-solving, featuring unique mechanics like an occult pendulum with multiple abilities and a diary system that tracks progress. While the puzzles are generally balanced and support the eerie atmosphere, they can become repetitive and occasionally frustrating due to inconsistent or limited application of mechanics and some clunky elements like combat or time manipulation. Overall, the game offers an engaging but somewhat linear and short experience that may appeal more to fans of investigative and atmospheric horror rather than action-oriented gameplay.

    • “Gameplay consists mainly of exploration and puzzle-solving while unraveling a mystery.”
    • “The gameplay mostly consists of solving puzzles and exploring the environment; you have 4 pendulum powers, 3 of which you unlock throughout the story: otherworldly vision, time reverse, raven companion, and rat pipe. These mechanics are mostly evenly spread throughout the game, except for the last one which is only used 3 times and unlocked before the final level.”
    • “The mechanics of using the medallion are extremely cool; peering through the crystal to find random items and blood splatters allows for some cool storytelling moments and reveals how bad things actually are.”
    • “It's not always clear what you should use, especially the time rewinding mechanic, and it only works on specific spots the devs have marked for, which renders the use of this power fairly inconsistent.”
    • “A rack has fallen on its side and now it's an untraversable obstacle; some fence rose up from the ground and you have to solve the puzzle to make it go away though it is barely a meter high and the protagonist could easily vault over it; there are aggressive rats running on the floor of a dining room and the protagonist has to run away instead of climbing onto a table; there is an open window leading to a locked room which the protagonist can easily fit through but no – look for another way in; etc. Of course, there are gameplay convictions and the developers have to limit the player’s area of exploration but when idiotic moments like these happen over and over again, it simply breaks the immersion.”
    • “The game is a pure letdown from mechanics which are as basic as you can get, to puzzles which repeat and use names or codes that take ages to type in.”

  • atmosphere

    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 33% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is generally praised for its immersive, gothic, and eerie qualities, enhanced by detailed environments, excellent lighting, sound design, and music that build tension and mood effectively. However, some find it inconsistent or weakened by gameplay elements and story delivery, leading to moments where the atmosphere feels forced, kitschy, or lacking altogether. Overall, the game offers a strong and memorable atmospheric experience for fans of supernatural horror, despite occasional flaws.

    • “It builds a nice horror atmosphere with its beautifully crafted locations that don't feel repetitive.”
    • “I always felt on edge due to the game's impeccable soundtrack and atmospheric sound design, the mechanics were incredible and the whole environment was absolutely stunning and beautiful.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible, the color and light usage sets a very strong moody and oppressive atmosphere.”
    • “There is no atmosphere built in this game at all, there is no horror and there is nothing spooky.”
    • “The game trailer also lies that you have to use the pendulum to see ghosts – no, you can see them easily with your regular vision which breaks the atmosphere even further.”
    • “As for the atmosphere, because of the aforementioned ludonarrative dissonance it is basically non-existent.”

  • graphics

    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    63% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their detailed artwork, atmospheric lighting, and polished visual design, often described as beautiful and immersive, especially in interiors and key locations. While some note occasional visual sluggishness or exaggerated effects, the overall consensus highlights impressive visuals that strongly enhance the mood and storytelling. The graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's gothic horror ambiance and player engagement.

    • “This is a masterpiece of RTX-enabled graphics, where designers truly know what they're doing and what they are using the graphics for.”
    • “Fantastic game - this team just instantly draws you in with stunning visuals and lots of great atmosphere; I hope the game succeeds and we get another like it.”
    • “Daloar, the studio behind The Occultist, describe themselves as 'a Spanish team of 32 dedicated gamedev professionals with deep roots in computer graphics,' and that seems pretty accurate, because the graphics are clearly the most polished aspect of this game.”
    • “The blurry graphics unfortunately are nothing to write home about, but the gameplay and puzzles make up for it.”
    • “The game's visuals are sometimes sluggishly executed with exaggerated bloom and depth of field, trying too hard to set the mood, but other times, especially in interiors, it combines nice compositions and excellent lighting and smoke/fog effects to create a nice atmosphere.”
    • “Even running this game with low graphics and above the minimum requirement for specs had my GPU running at 95% just from starting it up.”

  • music

    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    61% positive mentions, 26% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The game's music consistently receives high praise for its atmospheric and immersive quality, effectively enhancing the mood and tension throughout the experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout element that elevates the overall gameplay, with memorable compositions complementing the story and visuals.

    • “The music accompanies the adventure fittingly, the sound design is okay, voice acting mostly solid.”
    • “I always felt on edge due to the game's impeccable soundtrack and atmospheric sound design; the mechanics were incredible and the whole environment was absolutely stunning and beautiful.”
    • “Both the voice acting and the music are absolutely spectacular, which only elevates the final experience.”
    • “The scares are cheap jumpscares and at one point I didn't even register I was being chased until the music clued me in.”
    • “The music is fine; however, I did not really remember any of the compositions except the main theme.”
    • “The music, atmosphere, graphics, puzzles, and backtracking were noted, but music alone did not stand out.”

  • optimization

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    Optimization in the game is mixed, with some users experiencing performance issues such as high CPU temperatures, random stuttering, and image lag during camera movements or interface use. While the game can run smoothly at medium or adjusted settings, it still appears not fully optimized, especially on high-end systems.

    • “Performance was good without any issues from start to finish.”
    • “Optimization issues, but I was still able to play through at max settings without DLSS since combat isn't a huge factor.”
    • “The game also needs serious optimization; my i7-12700f hit 94°C during certain cutscenes, which is ridiculous.”
    • “As for performance, I had it at the highest settings and it chugged a bit; I reduced it down to medium and it was completely smooth.”
    • “Optimization issues include image lag while using the interface and during sudden camera movements.”

  • humor

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    88% positive mentions, -1% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring goofy easter eggs and unintentionally funny moments, such as quirky ghost NPCs and inconsistent voice acting by Doug Cockle. While some jumpscares and comedic attempts land, the protagonist's attempts at humor often fall flat, leading to a hit-or-miss atmosphere that can feel more kitschy than genuinely funny or scary.

    • “One jumpscare actually got me, but the rest felt cheap; some were even so goofy they made me laugh.”
    • “Perhaps I'm just a desensitized broken man, but some of the ghosts are funny wakey-waving inflatable tube ghost NPCs.”
    • “Some of them are funny because they are vibrating in the corner, others because they are trying to be spooky but within the limitations of an animation rig.”
    • “The player character doesn't take almost anything that's happening seriously and constantly throws out stupid, unfunny quips.”

  • stability

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    17% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 83% negative mentions

    The game's stability is inconsistent, with many users reporting bugs, glitches, and frustrating softlocks, especially in later stages and the final boss. However, some players experienced smooth performance with minimal issues throughout their playthrough. Overall, stability appears to be a common problem for a significant portion of players.

    • “The puzzles grew more frustrating the more you were confronted with them and it didn't help that after the second location the game starts to get more buggy.”
    • “The general consensus on the community forums is that this game is really, really buggy, and I'm afraid I have to agree since loading a save has caused my game to become softlocked.”
    • “I dropped the game because the final boss is buggy as hell.”

  • grinding

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is described as tedious and borderline boring, leading to long, unengaging stretches that detract from the overall experience.

    • “Long stretches of the game are tedious and, dare I say, borderline boring at times.”
    • “Overall: a boring, tedious game, 3/10”

  • emotional

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by meaningful character dynamics and a personal connection to the story, though some players expected a deeper emotional impact overall.

    • “I enjoyed the emotional dynamic between the characters, and the fact our character has a personal link to what's happening on the island.”
    • “I was honestly expecting a more emotional experience.”

  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Replayability is low, as the game offers about 5 hours of gameplay with little incentive to play again, making its price feel somewhat high despite decent content.

    • “Tentative recommendation, on sale, because there is roughly 5 hours of gameplay and zero replayability, so the asking price is a bit steep, though what's in the game is decent enough.”
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Critic Reviews

69%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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Play Times

9h Median play time
8h Average play time
5-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Game News

The Occultist Review – A Good Old-Fashioned Mystery

April 13 on gamingbolt.com

The Occultist Released

April 8 on bluesnews.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Occultist is a survival action adventure game with horror and mystery themes. Common tags for The Occultist include first-person, indie, trading, linear, psychological and others.

The Occultist is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing The Occultist.

The Occultist was released on April 8, 2026.

The Occultist was developed by DALOAR.

The Occultist has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked The Occultist for its story but disliked it for its stability.

The Occultist is a single player game.

Similar games include The Shore, The Beast Inside, Lust from Beyond, Left Alone, In Sound Mind and others.